Quoting Demihuman Deities (from 1998, 2nd edition D&D, pg. 31)
"The clergy of Lolth includes dark elves(94%) and chitines (6%). Of the dark elves, 96% are female; there are male priests of Lolth (4%), but the Spider Queen very rarely allows them to rise above 7th level of experience."
Whoever keeps consistently insisting that Lolth does not permit male clerics quite frankly don't know what they are talking about. And also realize that our perspective of the worship of Lolth primarily comes from the lens of an inhabitant of the drow city of Menzoberranzan (through RA Salvatore's novels), but guess what, there are many other drow cities in the Underdark that worship Lolth in notedly different ways. And heresies and cults are also something that exists with many major deities, and many of those deities permit their existence provided they serve that deity's will or interests. Church organizations might be interested in stamping them out in order to maintain complete power over the worshippers, but the deities themselves generally welcome more worship as that in turn brings them more influence and power.
The Forgotten Realms is a complicated and nuanced world, not everything is as it seems. And there is a difference between the reality people in the world of Abeir Toril perceive and the actual cosmic truth of the universe.
And to share another quote from that book concerning humans worshipping Lolth.
"Lolth is a cruel, capricious goddess, thought by many to be insane. She delights in setting her worshipers at each other's throats, so that the strongest, most devious and most cruel survive to serve her. Lolth roams the Realms often, appearing in answer to the rituals of drow priests, and working whatever harm she can to the enemies of drow. (During the Time of Troubles, Lolth appeared in the northern city of Menzoberranzan for a short period of time.) The Spider Queen secretly wants to be worshiped by humans and elves of other races on the surface surface Realms, and sometimes journeys among their communities, whispering of the power Lolth can bring. Lolth is malicious in her dealings and coldly vicious in a fight. She enjoys both personally dealing and causing death, destruction, and painful torture. Even more, Lolth enjoys corrupting elves and humans to her service. Lolth can be kind and render aid to those she fancies-but she really cares only for herself; her favor and aid can never be relied on."
Last edited by deserk; 29/10/20 12:14 PM.
